Weapons shipment intercepted in Nigeria: intelligence agencyLagos (AFP) Oct 26, 2010 -
Nigerian authorities on Tuesday intercepted a shipment of weapons including rocket launchers and grenades at a port in the economic capital of Lagos, an intelligence agency spokeswoman said.
The discovery occurred as a result of additional security following twin car bombings in the capital Abuja on October 1 that killed at least 12 people, said Marilyn Ogar.
Security agents intercepted 13 containers at the port and had opened one so far, finding the weaponry, she said.

"We've been able to open just one container, and in a container you have 24 crates," she said.
"Out of the 24, we've opened eight so far. Out of the eight, four are filled with floor tiles, while the other four contain rocket launchers, grenades, explosives and mortars."
She said authorities planned to work throughout the night to open all the containers. She declined to comment on where the shipment had come from and whether any arrests had been made, citing the ongoing investigation.

The report from Global Witness and the Environmental Investigation Agency shows that about 98 percent of the Madagascar wood -- mostly ebony, rosewood and pallisander -- is destined for the Chinese luxury furniture market.

"In China, Malagasy rosewood beds sell for a million dollars apiece, yet less than 1 percent of the profits remain with local people," EIA Executive Director Alexander von Bismarck said in a release. He noted that the group's investigations found that Chinese traders were often aware that the wood they purchased was endangered and not legally cut.

Madagascar's director general of forests, Julien Noel Rakotoarisoa told BBC News at the CBD meeting that the report broadly presented a "pretty accurate account" of the problem but said the situation was beginning to change.

Rakotoarisoa said his country issued the last export permit a year ago and no more permits would be issued.

He pointed to an unauthorized consignment of 300 tons of rosewood from Madagascar that was intercepted in the nearby Comoros Islands a few months ago as an example of action taken on illegal exports.

While Madagascar earlier this year reinstated a ban on the export of all precious woods, the report shows that further shipments of wood have left Madagascar's ports since then and logging continues.

An article in The New York Times also reported environmental groups saying the illicit trade has increased at least 25 fold in the last year, with the value of the timber totaling at least $167 million during that period.

The illegal trade has been facilitated by the weak law enforcement of the country's transitional government as well as complicity by some of the country's state authorities, the report states.

EIA and Global Witness called on China to take immediate action to halt imports of wood from Madagascar and adopt stricter policies for the country's traders and companies manufacturing products from the wood.

"China's response to these findings will be critical for Madagascar's biodiversity. China has a great opportunity to help put an end to illegal timber trade and protect biodiversity," said von Bismarck.

The lush rainforests of Madagascar, the world's fourth largest island, contains some 14,000 species of plants.

In July, the rainforests of the Atsinanana, the site of most of the illegal logging, were added to the List of World Heritage in danger.

UN to open peace and security office in GabonLibreville (AFP) Oct 25, 2010
The United Nations will in January open a central African regional bureau for peace and security in Gabon's capital Libreville, a UN political advisor announced Monday.
A UN delegation is currently in Gabon "so that the office can start work in January 2011", said Angele Makombo-Eboum, who is also a mission chief for the world body.
"The aim of this bureau is to help our sub-region of ce ... read more

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